


cup full of flowers

by giftedsun



Category: Love Live! School Idol Festival (Video Game), Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: AU, ChikaRiko, F/F, Florist/Barista AU, Fluff, just like. them, there weren't any others so here i am!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-13
Updated: 2018-09-27
Packaged: 2019-03-30 16:08:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13955169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/giftedsun/pseuds/giftedsun
Summary: riko is a barista. chika is a florist. their lives happen to intersect. (for ckrk week day 4)





	1. chapter one: the beginning

It begins, like so many things do, on a Monday.

Like usual, Riko opens the shop promptly at six. Mari’s working the afternoon shift, so Riko’s alone until Hanamaru comes in at noon. She absentmindedly puts on a pot of coffee, muscle memory working where Riko’s half-asleep brain cannot. This early, Sakura is practically empty, entered mostly by adults on their way to work and college students looking for a caffeine fix. It gets a little busier around six-thirty, and Riko mindlessly works the morning rush, doling out latte after macchiato after cappuccino. When a peaceful moment arrives among the din, Riko pours herself a cup. She absolutely abhors the taste of coffee, would much rather have tea, but forces herself to drink a cup everytime she has an early-morning shift. As she sips the sugar-laden coffee, the mental fog clears, Riko glances out the window, and that’s when she notices.

The empty building across the street has always seemed fated for demise; Riko can track its previous residents in a laundry list. The last one had been a cheery frozen yogurt store, one of Riko’s favorite tenants. It used to be that she and Dia would stop by after work on Tuesdays; that had been months ago, before Dia had left the shop to go to law school and _King Froyo_ had closed. It had been a while since the frozen yogurt store had closed, and Riko and Mari had started making bets on what would open up next.

Riko’s spotted a new sign going up, proclaiming the store to be _Shining! Flowers._ Through the windows, she sees a few girls— one with bright orange hair catches her eye. She’s cute, wearing teal overalls that would be hideous on anyone else, but somehow look amazing on flower shop girl. She can’t make out flower shop girl’s face, but Riko writes _go visit across the street— welcome basket, cute girl??_ on a sticky note and sticks it underneath the counter. Blushing furiously, Riko opens her phone behind the counter— she probably has a few minutes before a customer comes in, and she wants to inform Mari of her victory.

sakuriko: **_ha, you owe me $10! the new tenants are moving in— i called it; a flower shop!_ **

mary o'harry: _hshhshssdhsh no i really wanted it to be a hot topic! this is emo oppression!_

Riko rolls her eyes and shuts off her phone— she really doesn’t understand 75% of anything Mari says. She’s still looking at the black screen when the bell above the door rings. As Riko’s head snaps up, she quickly thinks about the books she reads. In those, she would glance up and it would be cute flower shop girl and Riko would be completely suave.

“Hey! I was wondering if I could get some drinks for me and my friends?”

It’s not cute flower shop girl. However, it is _a_ cute flower shop girl— Riko spotted her through the window, too. The girl— Riko’ll call her cute flower shop girl #2— has short grey hair, and is wearing a baseball cap over it, backward. _What is up with these girls making awful things look good?_ Riko thinks as she responds.

“O-oh! Oh yeah, No problem! What do you want? I mean, we have coffee, obviously but also… different coffee drinks. And tea! We have lots of tea!”

Smooth, Riko. Real smooth.

Thankfully, the girl ignores whatever _that_ was, and gives Riko the order.

“Names?” Riko asks.

“You, that’s me! Y - O - U. And then the latte is for my girlfriend, Kanan. The last drink is for Chika.”

 _Girlfriend_. Riko turned a shade of crimson and mentally began trying to guess if cute flower shop girl #1 was Kanan. She didn’t speak on it, however, simply saying, “So you guys are moving in across the street, right? Flower shop?”

“Yeah!” You replied, energetically, despite the early hour.“We’re just starting up, but Chika’s really excited about it— she’s the one jumpstarting everything. Kanan and I are just along for the ride!”

“That sounds similar to how we are here. I opened the cafe, and I’ve drug my friends into working here on numerous occasions. I love it, though— it’s amazing.” Riko looked around the cafe. It was mostly empty, but some people had lingered, relaxing in the comfy chairs with their drinks. She smiled gently— the shop hadn’t been her first choice, but it was what she had made it.

You nodded in response, and they fell into a peaceful silence as Riko prepared the drinks. When she was done, You took a sip of hers, and her eyes lit up.

“This is wonderful! Riko, I’ll definitely be back. Thanks!” You exclaimed. You then carefully balanced the other two drinks in her arms and began backing out of the cafe. “By the way, Riko, come visit us sometimes! If you ever need to impress a cute boy, let us know!”

Riko nodded and then realized what You had said. “G-girl!” She practically screamed, startling nearly everyone in the shop. Riko turned bright red once again but continued speaking. “Cute girl! That’s who I’d want to impress!”

You looked stunned for a moment and then stifled a laugh. “Glad to know. See ya!”

The second You left the cafe, Riko groaned. _How embarrassing!_ she thought, looking through the window again. You was talking to two other girls— presumably Chika and Kanan, though Riko had no idea which was which — and all three appeared to be laughing their hearts out.

_Great._


	2. chapter two: blooming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> riko, once again, is a disaster lesbian.

Despite her embarrassment, Riko wasn’t deterred. She  _ would _ go over and welcome the flower shop girls, even though her chance to make a perfect first impression was ruined. However, it wasn’t the worst thing she had ever done upon a first meeting; the first thing she had ever said to Yoshiko was “What do you think  _ you’re _ wearing?” in a tone that was  _ very  _ snarky. Riko still didn’t think she was in the wrong— Yoshiko had shown up to work in one of those gothic lolita dresses, complete with black angel wings. Riko  _ had _ , however, felt terrible for weeks after, even with Yoshiko’s reassurance that it was fine.

Riko’s phone beeps and as she looks at its singular notification, she grins. Speak of the devil, indeed. 

yo yo yohane: **hey whoooooo wants to cover my shift it’ll owe you one owo**

sakuriko: **_i gotcha, i’ll just stick around here_ **

mary o’harry:  _ on your phone during work? bad riko! _

Biting back a smile, Riko shut her phone off once again. It wouldn’t be the first day she had spent entirely at Sakura, but that wasn’t a problem. She loved Sakura, in a way, as much as one can love the place where they work. Sakura was full of soft chairs, that one horrendously ugly couch that Mari found in a salvation army, the bookshelf that Hanamaru stocked with her favorite reads, the fireplace that was never lit because none of them knew how to start a fire, and the upright piano in the corner. Paintings of Riko’s hung on the walls, Yoshiko had brought in some sparkly garlands and demanded she hangs them up. Riko had done her best to make Sakura as home-y as possible, so she didn’t mind spending her hours there. Besides, all of her friends worked there, anyways, so where else did she have to go?

The day passes in a flurry of orders taken and coffee-making, and then, once Hanamaru comes in, just coffee-making. Maru’s better at making the drinks visually appealing but tends to get distracted as she makes the drinks. Ever since an unfortunate incident involving an order for six and shaky hands, Riko’s learned that it’s best to have Hanamaru on the register. They chat when they can, Riko telling Hanamaru her thoughts about the book Maru recommended. 

Around noon, which is when Riko is technically off, she leaves to go get lunch. As she walks down the street, she catches sight of cute flower shop girl (number one, the with orange hair who might be cute flower shop girl #2’s girlfriend) waiting on the opposite street corner. Which would be fine, Riko wouldn’t be concerned, if not for the fact that she’s waiting for the light to change, and like she’s going to cross the street, to Riko’s side.

The light changes.

Despite reassuring herself constantly that  _ she can do this _ when presented with the opportunity to make a new first impression, Riko does the worst. As cute flower shop girl approaches, Riko lets out what can only be known as a squeak, and flees.

Hanamaru flinches when Riko sprints through the door and slams her hands on the countertop. Riko pants for a few moments, trying to catch her breath, and then letting her head drop onto the cool marble. A few seconds later, Hanamaru sets a glass of water next to Riko and pats her on the head.

“Does this have something to do with the cute girl from across the street, zura?” Hanamaru’s soft voice inquires.

Riko’s head shoots up. “How— Maru, you always know more than you should, but this is something else.” 

Hanamaru just smiles, and extends her hand. Pinched between her index finger and her thumb is Riko’s sticky note from earlier. “I found this when you left. Plus, you only get this flustered when a girl is involved!”

Riko sighs, and goes to lay her head back down— lunch can wait until the streets have been cleared of every cute girl who works at flower shops and dress like hipster farmers. 

“Riko, look out!”

She glances up, afraid that Hanamaru has spilled coffee, or someone is throwing  _ another _ basketball at her head because seriously, how many times can that happen to someone—!

Hanamaru is pointing out the window, so Riko follows her finger and sees something worse than maybe ten basketballs. Perhaps predictably, cute flower shop girl is about to walk through their door.

For the second time that day, Riko bolts. She runs clear around the counter, bumping Hanamaru as she practically dives into the back room. Maru looks like she’s trying not to giggle, and for the next ten minutes, Riko sits there, facing away from the door. When cute flower shop girl finally leaves, Hanamaru shoots her a thumbs up, and so Riko exits. Her face burns as she stands back up, brushing off her skirt.

“Maru, listen—”

“She was just as cute as you said, and she seemed really confused, zura.”

“Did she—”

“Ask about you? No. She did order, though, one for a You and another for a Kanan.”

Oh. So cute flower shop girl is Kanan, and cute flower shop girl #2, who is You, is her girlfriend. Riko blushes even brighter with shame, and doesn’t say anything else on the subject.

“I’m going to go get that food I left to get 20 minutes ago. ”

* * *

 

Much, much later, when Hanamaru has left and Mari has come and gone, Riko is closing the cafe when she notices a lone lit storefront across the street. Of course, the one storefront is Shining! Flowers, and there seems to be a singular figure inside. Riko can’t make out who it is, but there don’t seem to be any customers inside.

It was the perfect time to go welcome them, and apologize for just about all of her behavior Riko decided. She picked up some pastries from the day, putting the best looking ones in a to-go box. Riko made three of the boxes, hoping that whoever was still at the flower store would deliver the other boxes to her friends. As she tied up the boxes with pretty ribbons, Riko began doubting herself. What if she just embarrassed herself even more? 

Mustering up all her courage, Riko picked up the boxes, turned off the lights, and locked the doors before she could talk herself out of it. Spurred on by adrenaline, she took herself across the street, and boldly opened the door of the flower shop.

The girl sitting at the front counter looked up— it was cute flower shop girl #1 (Kanan?).

“Sorry, we’re clo— Oh! It’s you!”


	3. chapter three: bursting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> chapter three and the main ship still hasn't like, had a convo??? interesting ;) ;) ;)

“You ran away from me earlier!” The orange-haired girl jabbed her index finger at Riko. “We were on the street and you got all flustered and completely adorable and ran into that cute coffee shop! Right?”

“Oh! You remember that— I mean, obviously you remember, it was just earlier, but oh, that was really unfortunate. Sorry about running away from you. Twice.” Riko pushed her thumbs together as she stood in front of the girl. It was a nervous habit left over from her shy middle school days, one that she hadn’t let go when she stopped biting her nails and pulling her sweaters over her fists. 

At the confirmation, the girl put her hand down, resting her elbows on the long wooden counter in front of her, where she sat. “Twice? I didn’t see you the second time— I guess you’re good at that sort of thing, huh.” She laughed lightly at that, head tilting towards Riko. “You work there, hmm? You brought drinks over from there this morning, and she liked them so much that she had me go back to get some for her and Kanan. Didn’t see you, though.”

“Well—” Riko looked down, swiftly turning red, “That would have been the second time I ran. W-wait, if I met You, and you got drinks for her and Kanan, you must be—”

“Chika. And you’re Riko, right? You was telling me about you.” Chika covered her growing grin with her hand, and Riko despaired a little over the loss. “Something about, um, liking cute girls.”

_ Chika _ . Riko almost sighed, before remembering where she was. Placing a name to the face was one thing, but the reaffirmation that Chika was  _ Chika _ , and not You’s girlfriend, was beyond satisfying.  

Then, it hit her what Chika had said. Shock flashed across her face, leaving her sputtering and gasping for words. Chika giggled as Riko struggled. The longer Riko choked, the louder Chika’s laughs grew, and soon her giggles were full-bellied laughs. When Riko finally recovered, she glared at Chika, and Chika immediately began trying to stop. When her laughter ceased, she put both palms in the air. Tears were streaming from her eyes.

“S-s-sorry,” Chika hiccupped, “But that was absolutely hilarious, Riko!” 

Riko glowered harshly. “I knew she told you about that! Chika, it was early and I was tired—” 

“Is that to say it wasn’t true?” Chika asked, seeming very shy. At once, Riko realized how close she had gotten to Chika. She had mindlessly crossed from directly in front of the door to right in front of the counter. Chika was so close that if Riko reached out, she could touch her face or maybe her arm. 

Riko didn’t, however. She blinked once, twice, and then swallowed, throat suddenly feeling very dry. “I..” She started, and then coughed; Riko took another swallow and tried again. “I did mean it, no matter the manner I said it in.” 

Chika smiled, eyes closing and face lighting up. “Me too, Riko!” She stated, and before Riko had a chance to recover, moved on. “Speaking of liking cute girls, the reason that the two of them— You and Kanan, that is— aren’t here is that they’re out on a date. They wouldn’t let me come with, so they just left me here, all alone,” Chika sighed dramatically, “Until you showed up! Why are you here, by the way? Not that it’s a problem!”

She had completely forgotten her errand, but simply gestured to the boxes in her arms. “For you three. I trust you’ll deliver it to You and Kanan? And not eat all of them yourself?” Riko teased, playfully winking at Chika as she pouted. The boxes were dropped on the counter, and Chika immediately pulled them towards herself. She immediately untied the ribbon and popped open the top.

“Oh, Riko, these smell amazing! Thank you!” 

“No problem!”

As Chika continued to gush over the pastries, Riko glanced out the windows. All of the storefronts on the other side of the street were dark, as was the sky. The light posts had all flicked on, which Riko knew only happened at exactly 10:37 each night. A yawn overcame her without bidding, and as she turned pack to Chika, the other girl looked concerned.

“I’d love to stay, but I think I must get on my way.” Riko smiled softly. This time, she chose to reach out and touch Chika’s arm, and Chika adopted a smile as well. Standing up, Chika walked around the counter where Riko stood. 

“Hey, before you go, let me get your phone number! I need to make sure you get home safe, after all.” Riko nodded her assent and handed over her phone. Chika grinned as she entered her phone number, and handed it back over once she was done. Riko slid the phone back into her purse, and looked back up, into Chika’s eyes. They crinkled as the girl smiled once more as she moved to grasp Riko’s hand. “Have a safe night, Riko. I’ll come visit you tomorrow— if you won’t run away again?” Her grin morphed into a mischievous smirk at the end. Riko laughed as she released Chika’s hand, and pushed her away, playfully. 

“Have a good night, Chika!”

“You too, Riko!”

As Riko walks home, she shivers. The air is cool, and her gloves seem to have been lost. She mourns them, and swears to look for them tomorrow— they’re one of her warmest and favorite pairs. Her peacoat isn’t quite satisfactory on this chilly night. She strolls, heeled boots clicking against the pavement. 

Suddenly, her phone buzzes. Riko wrestles it out from under her coat, digging it out from inside her purse. Clutching it in her hands, Riko's icy breath frosts the screen as she reads a singular text.

chika ❤: have a safe night, riko!!! i really really loved spending time with you, please come join me again (i promise i won’t run ;) xoxo!

Riko feels warm.

 


	4. chapter four: beach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> riko is maybe not as much of a disaster lesbian?

Riko wakes up feeling, objectively, like crap. She wakes at 5:30 because she forgot to turn off her work alarm, immediately turns her alarm off, and rolls back over to instantly fall asleep. By the time she actually wakes up, at seven, Riko still doesn’t feel ready for the day. Her cat, Peach, winds between her cold feet as Riko makes her way to the kitchen. Despite her exhaustion, a smile is still brought to Riko’s face, and she reaches down to pet Peach.

Now, Riko knows she doesn’t have allergies. She’s sure of it. However, something must have bypassed the double-triple-quadruple check she did with her doctor before she adopted Peach because there’s no other explanation for the gigantic sneeze Riko lets out. She  _ cannot _ be sick. There’s no way.  _ No way _ . But as she heads to the bathroom, there’s no denying the ache in her throat, or the congestion in her nose. 

“Ugh, no way! Peach, how could I have let this happen?” The girl complains to her cat, who’s jumped on the counter in the bathroom. As Riko maneuvers her way into the medicine cabinet, fishing out the cough medicine, she continues to rant to her cat. Peach meows in reply and Riko smiles, before launching into a huge coughing fit. 

Grimacing, Riko takes her cough medicine and sends off a quick text.

sakuriko:  **_hey mari, i’ve come down with a bad cold, i’m supposed to come in later but i know that you’re on with me, will you be ok without me or should i find someone to cover? or just come in?_ **

mary o’harry:  _ riko it’s fine, don’t overwork yourself like u usually do when ur sick. i can handle it. _

mary o’harry:  _ also hanamaru told me you have a crush? on a girl from the flower shop? lmao i gotta see her for myself _

mary o’harry: _ but like props to you master lesbian it’s been like a day _

Riko glares at her phone, hoping that some of her disdain will reach Mari, wherever she is. When she feels as if a good amount of her distaste has been put out into the universe, she puts her phone down and thinks.

Huh. A sick day. Riko hasn’t had one of those in a while, and she doesn’t quite know what to do with herself. Normally, she would have called Dia and the two of them would’ve gone to breakfast together, but that wasn’t an option now. Riko found herself missing Dia frequently, and this morning seemed to be no exception. Dia had been similar to Riko, had helped keep their little group sane. Logically, Riko knew Dia was a lot happier where she was now, that Dia was doing what she loved. After all, Dia had wanted to be a lawyer since practically the day she was born.  That didn’t make Riko feel any less lonely on mornings like this, however.

Shaking her head, Riko pushed aside all Dia-related thoughts. She was happy, and that was all that mattered, really. As Riko sets a cup of tea to brew, she opens Instagram on her phone. She doesn’t open it often, and posts even less, but she wants to see how Dia is doing. And what do you know, the first post on Riko’s feed is Dia’s— a selfie, which Dia never posts, with a girl in it, next to Dia. She’s pretty, with dark purple hair and striking eyes. The two girls are close, and they’re smiling like they both have secrets. The caption reads,  _ So happy to have this girl as my wonderful girlfriend, @kazunosarah ♥. _

Riko’s eyes widen, and she almost drops the mug in her other hand. Luckily, she catches herself in time and sets the mug on the counter as she presses her thumb to the messaging app on her phone.

sakuriko:  **_Dia! I saw your post, why didn’t you tell me sooner? You guys are really cute, I’ll have to come up and meet her someday soon. Make sure she’s good enough for you and all that._ **

Dia Kurosawa: You’ll have to. I would really enjoy that, Riko. She’s amazing, and honestly, some days, I don’t think I’m good enough for her. We weren’t telling anyone for a bit because her sister is good friends with Ruby, but then we let both of them know. I miss you, Riko, please come visit soon.

Riko responded in the affirmative and poured her tea. She sat at her kitchen counter. Riko sipped her tea, basking in the early morning sun. It was relaxing, if not a little disorienting, to be up so early with nothing to do, despite Riko’s ongoing sniffles and sneezes. Riko really  _ does _ have work to be done, so she eventually hauls herself up and moves to what she calls her living room. It’s not a room so much as it is a large alcove off the kitchen, but Riko enjoys it. Her comfy chairs are there, and she’s pushed a piano in there so it sits right in the corner. As she seats herself in a chair, Riko glances at the said piano.

She hasn’t played in months. She doesn’t have an excuse, really— work is busy, but not that busy. Her failed competition was ages ago. Really, she just hasn’t been able to bring herself to; there doesn’t seem like much of a point. Riko’s a barista, but she’s also a business owner. Her life is moving forward, no matter the direction it’s going in, and Riko’s had to come to terms with the fact that piano just tires her. It’s hard work, and even harder to succeed at, and no matter what, Riko just can’t bring herself to try for it.

Riko tears her eyes away from the piano and focuses instead on the laptop in her hands. She’s applying to a summer program for the arts, though she doesn’t quite know why, and has tasked herself with writing her admissions essay. Peach jumps in her lap. The hour has already slipped away, and as Riko writes a dazzling essay detailing her love of painting, another one slips past. She’s only made aware of this by a knock on the door which breaks her out of her writing mindset.

Riko swings the door open, expecting the postman, or maybe Yoshiko. Standing there, however, is Chika, holding a small box. Suddenly, Riko is astutely aware of the fact that she’s still in her pajamas, which are covered with tiny cherry blossoms. Her hair is unbrushed, makeup undone, and there’s a pile of tissues in the living room. Peach winds between her legs and Chika smiles down at her.

“Chika! What are you doing here— come in— how did you get my address?”

“Your friend told me that you were sick! I stopped in, looking for you, and she gave me this and told me to come see you. She also winked at me, which I really didn’t get but your address was nearby and You said it was fine if I left and I really wanted to see you— I mean! Make sure you were okay, and so,” Chika stepped inside, pausing in her spiel as Riko led her to the kitchen, “here I am. I hope I’m not intruding…?” She set the box on the kitchen counter and took a seat.

“No! Not at all! I’m just not exactly presentable, that’s all.”

“I texted.”

Riko picked up her phone from where she had left it on the kitchen counter. Chika had texted, indeed, and Riko had completely missed it.

“Ah, I didn’t see it.”

The two girls looked at each other, an awkward silence rising between them. Riko couldn’t help but think about how different Chika looked under the lights of her apartment, how normal she looked, and yet, she still looked somewhat unreal.

“Well—”

“So—”

 Both girls looked at each other again; Riko let out a sheepish giggle. “You go first.”

“I was going to say that you don’t look that sick to me.”

“What? Chika—”

“In fact, I think we should go do something!”

“Like what? Don’t you have to work? And I should really be here in case there’s an emergency at Sakura or if something happens.”

“You let me leave early! Like, hours early. I think she just wants alone time with Kanan. And we can go anywhere, Riko! Let’s have an adventure!” Chika jumped up from her barstool, pumping her fist into the air. Then, she extended the same hand to Riko. “Whaddya say, Riko?”

“I barely even know you— I don’t even know your last name!”

“What better way to get to know someone?”

Riko took Chika’s outstretched hand. “Alright. I’ll go get dressed, feel free to help yourself to anything— and my cat is around, too, that’s Peach.” Chika nodded in reply. 

As Riko got dressed, Chika called out to her. “Hey, Riko! Do you play the piano?”

“I used to. I don’t play much anymore.”

She walked back out to the kitchen, dressed and in her coat. 

“Ready?” Chika beamed at her and offered her hand again. Riko took it.

“Do you have a car?” 

“It’s parked outside!” 

The two girls ran out of the apartment, breathlessly sprinting down the stairs, still holding hands. As they reached the bottom, Chika, who was in front, spun around, and caught Riko, preventing her from falling. The two exited the building.

“I call her Mikan-Mobile!” Chika exclaimed to Riko, gesturing to her large, bright orange pick-up truck. Riko giggled— both the name and the car itself were so exuberantly Chika. The other girl held the passenger's side door open for Riko, shut it, and got in on the other side.

“Where do you want to go, Riko?”

“The beach.” The words escaped her lips without her even thinking about it, but as Riko thought on it, she found them to be true. Chika turned the car on, and the radio up. Riko never thought she could have felt so comfortable, especially with someone who she had only just met. But somehow, Chika had this friendly nature that made Riko feel so instantly and completely  _ at home _ , that she almost couldn’t bear it. By any means, Riko didn’t understand it, but she loved it. Never before had she felt so at ease so quickly. 

After they had hit the freeway, Chika reached over and turned down the volume of the radio.

“Riko, I’m interested! Why don’t you play the piano anymore?”

“Oh! It’s, well, complicated. To say the least. I mean, I love it, at least I used to. I’m good at it, too— not to brag, that is! And I used to be one of the most proficient young piano players in the country. I would go to competitions and play and win prizes and everything. But recently… I don’t know. I’ve lost what makes me want to keep playing. There’s nothing exciting in my life, I guess. There’s no reason for me to play— when I was little, I used to think I’d be playing forever, but I’ve become more realistic, now.”

Chika’s eyes don’t slip off the road, but Riko watches her profile shift into an expression she’s never seen before. It isn’t quite anger, but Riko wouldn’t call it happy to any extent. It looks almost like a grimace. 

“I don’t— Riko— I mean— Gosh, I really can’t do this while I’m driving. We’re nearly there, can we talk about something else until we get there? Don’t worry, I’m not brushing you aside!” 

Riko nods and asks a question about flowers. Her heart isn’t really in it, though— she keeps going back to the strange expression on Chika’s face. If Chika notices, though, she doesn’t say anything about it and answers the question with ease. This starts a conversation about favorite flowers, which continues until they reach the beach.

“Well, of course you love cherry blossoms!” Chika exclaims as she pulls into a small and sandy parking lot.

“Of course?”

“They're the name of your shop, on your pajamas—”

“It’s in my name. That’s why I like them.”

“Your name?”

“My family name. Sakurauchi.”

“That’s pretty! Mine is Takami.”

The two girls grin stupidly at each other until Riko snaps out of it, realizes that the car is stopped. Hastily, she unbuckles her seatbelt and throws the door open, taking off for the beach. 

“Hey, race you there!”

Chika takes off after her as Riko heads for the water.

“Wait! Riko! What are you doing— that water is freezing, it’s November! You’ll die, Riko! _You’re going to die!_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so like. this is the longest chapter yet! what's up! i'm so so so excited to be writing about these girls because every interaction they have warms my heart. i really hope you guys like this chapter!! also don't be alarmed at the stopping point riko is NOT going to die and the date will continue xoxoxo also don't forget to check out my tumblr (giftedsun.tumblr.com) because i'm constantly posting more things about this au there!!


	5. chapter five: believing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> chika? riko? loving each other? more likely than you think.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI EVERYONE!! i'm so sorry for the very, very, very lengthy hiatus. i lost my muse for ckrk for a bit and have been caught up with various other projects. chapter five is finally here! i hope you'll be as happy with it as i am. i really really love chikariko, and i only ever aim to do them justice. please enjoy reading, thank you so much.

The sand on the beach has laid undisturbed for weeks, ever since the weather slipped below 60 degrees and stayed there. The spot is picturesque: white sand, gently rolling waves, no people— that is, until the two girls begin tearing through, heading straight for the ocean.

As Riko cascades towards the water, the pitter-patter of Chika’s footsteps follow close behind. Once Riko’s toes touch the cool water, she pulls herself to a stop. — Or, at least, she tries to, but something (some _ one _ ) plows straight into her.

She braces herself for impact. Instead, Riko finds an arm wrapped firmly around her front, Chika holding her from behind. A glance to her left finds Chika’s hand planted in the sand beneath the water. Riko tries to turn her head more, more,  _ more _ , in an attempt to glance at her savior. Somehow, the desire to see Chika’s face is stronger than anything right now, stronger than the cries falling on deaf ears.

“Riko! Be careful! I’m going to— _ Aaaah! _ ”

The pain from the fall and the coldness of the water aren’t nearly as searing as Riko’s embarrassment. 

* * *

 

Chika doesn’t carry towels in her car, but does, strangely enough, have assorted pieces of clothing. Riko dries her hair with a shirt whose print advertises bug repellent, not having the strength to actually wear it. As she twists the shirt around her long hair, Riko tilts her head and looks at Chika. The other girl isn’t as wet, having fallen on top of Riko, but still makes no attempt to dry herself off. Instead, she stares across the shoreline, casting her gaze across the ocean. 

Riko can’t help but stare. Chika truly is stunning, and under the soft fall sun, Riko notices it even more than she had under the sharp flower shop lights. Even when she wasn’t smiling, like now, her face radiated happiness, a joy that seemed like it could never totally fade.

“Chika?” Riko finally broke the silence— one that hadn’t been awkward, rather, it had washed upon them both like a gentle wave. Her voice came out quiet, so quiet that She herself was shocked when she heard it. “Ah, Chika?” She repeated louder. 

Chika turned her head to face Riko, body still facing the shore.

“All dry, Riko?”

“Nearly, but…” Riko trails off, flushing slightly.

“But?”

“There’s a spot on my back I can’t reach, but it should dry on its own.”

Chika smiles. “Here, let me help!” She reaches for the shirt, getting closer, closer…

Riko suddenly feels very aware of her body, her legs spread on the cool sand, her shoulder just barely touching Chika’s warm arm. She lets Chika take the shirt, hardly noticing it leaving her grasp. As Chika starts to wipe her back, she turns her head, one hand still loosely holding her hair.

As Riko’s chin turns back, she glimpses Chika’s concentrated face and feels… she feels…

Cared for. 

It’s this thought that drives Riko, tilting her head back, getting closer to Chika— 

“Aah! I… I can do it myself, Chika! Thank you! We should probably be heading back! I, I’m still sick, after all, it’s bad to be out in the cold!” Riko blusters, springing to her feet. Chika looks surprised, shocked even, and it’s all Riko can do to not embrace her.

They leave soon after. Riko is shocked that she doesn’t explode with  _ want  _ on the drive back.

* * *

 

“Chika!” Riko exclaims as the bell above the door rings. She’d be lying if she said she hadn’t been anxiously eying the door since her shift began, jumping up every time the bell rang cheerfully. They hadn’t spoken since their expedition to the beach unless you counted Chika texting her dog memes and Riko replying with a “LOL” like she wasn’t completely and absolutely terrified of dogs “talking.” 

“Hey, Riko!” Chika smiles genuinely, and Riko feels relief wash over her. The worry that she had ruined their friendship had been haunting her for the past week; the worry that their easy camaraderie, the way she had just ‘clicked’ with Chika, was broken. Maybe she had gone too far? Chika likes girls. This she knows, but the other part— Chika liking her— it just felt impossible.

But Chika had come back, Chika had come to the coffee shop, and this meant something. It had to, right? As Chika walks closer to the countertop, Riko sees something in her hands. 

“A bouquet,” Chika says before Riko can ask, “to celebrate you feeling better.”

“Thank you,” Riko smiles back at Chika, feeling genuinely happy. Maybe friendship is okay. It’s not a bad thing, never a bad thing, and Riko promises herself that she’ll suppress her flaming crush for this. For Chika.

Chika passes the bouquet to Riko and hops up onto the counter, leaning into Riko’s space. Normally, Riko would protest, but it’s empty in the shop, so she lets it be. “What do each of the flowers mean?” She asks, curiosity getting the better of her. Riko recognizes some of the flowers, but when she thinks of the few meanings she knows… No. That can’t be right…

Chika leans closer, pointing out certain flowers within the bouquet. “White tulips… forgiveness. Because I dropped you into the water last week. Peonies, compassion, because… you’re very compassionate. Even if you don’t think so, I can see it… and because they kinda look like cherry blossoms, and I know you like them, but I can’t put them in a bouquet…”

Riko looks up from the bouquet, and Chika is right in front of her, forehead only an inch from her own. “Keep going, Chika.”

“Pink ranunculus… radiance. Because you shine, Riko, you… you  _ shine. _ And because they’re part of a common family, the yellow kind are buttercups, but they’re… they’re special. Riko, they’re so special. Even if they don’t believe they are.” Tears gather at the ends of both girls’ eyes, neither one shedding a tear, but getting close.

“The last flower, Chika?” Riko asks, voice softly cracking. She asks even though she already knows. Of course she does, everyone knows, but she has to hear it. Chika has to say it for her to believe it.

“Roses. They have many meanings, but these, the red…”

“Chika…” Riko’s voice is a warning, letting Chika know that if she says it, she can’t turn back.

“Red roses. Love. Riko, I—!”

Riko surges up, grabs the strap of those stupid teal overalls, and pulls Chika down to meet her lips. Their tears splash together, and Riko feels stupidly inexperienced, and Chika is woefully embarrassed, but it’s wonderful. Riko has the vague notion that this is horribly unsanitary, really, and pulls away from Chika.

“To be clear,” Riko asks, coughing once to clear her throat, “That was—?”

“A confession, yes.  _ Yes. _ It’s an awful bouquet, really, but I thought it said everything worth saying.”

Riko’s laughter rings through the coffee shop. She’s never felt happier, never felt lighter, freer. 

Of course, that’s until Chika pulls her back in for another kiss.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for coming back to this fic and reading! i'm, again, very sorry for the hiatus. we aren't quite done yet! stay tuned!!

**Author's Note:**

> hi ya girl loves chikariko!! this is in part inspired by the chikariko week prompt for day four, which is flowers. ii also drew some stuff for this au on my tumblr, giftedsun.tumblr.com! thank you so much for reading, i promise there's more to come!!


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